QA

Question: Is Mezzanine More Senior Bank Debt

Mezzanine Financing In relation to the priority with which they are paid, these loans are subordinate to senior debt but senior to common equity. Differing from standard bank loans, mezzanine loans demand a higher yield than senior debt and are often unsecured.

Is mezzanine debt senior debt?

Mezzanine loans are subordinate to senior debt but have priority over both preferred and common stock. They carry higher yields than ordinary debt. They are often unsecured debts. There is no amortization of loan principal.

Where does mezzanine debt rank?

Debt finance that ranks in priority behind senior debt but ahead of trade creditors or equity; often secured and commonly convertible into equity of the borrower.

Is bank debt a senior debt?

Historically companies used senior debt (held by the banks), followed by mezzanine debt and then junior debt (usually held by bondholders and note-holders), often ranking above unsecured creditors and shareholders/equity holders.

Is mezzanine debt or equity?

Mezzanine debt bridges the gap between debt and equity financing and is one of the highest-risk forms of debt. It is senior to pure equity but subordinate to pure debt.

Are bonds senior debt?

Loans and bonds can be issued as senior debt or subordinated debt. Senior debt is repaid first if the borrower encounters a default or liquidation. It is usually secured debt with collateral; however, it can also be unsecured with specific provisions for repayment seniority.

Is revolver a subordinated debt?

A revolver is a form of senior bank debt that acts like a credit card for companies and is generally used to help fund a company’s working capital needs. The interest rate charged on the revolver balance is usually LIBOR plus a premium that depends on the credit characteristics of the borrowing company.

How much is mezzanine debt?

The senior lender contributes $600,000 of debt financing at 8% per year. The mezzanine lender contributes $200,000 of debt financing at 15% per year. You, the equity investor, contribute only $200,000 in equity. Example A: Financing the pizzeria with senior debt and equity Annual return on your $400,000 investment 24.7%.

What is senior and mezzanine debt?

Mezzanine debt is a hybrid form of capital that is part loan and part investment. Senior debt is a loan from a bank. Banks lend off of asset values so most senior loans are collateralized with assets. The bank loan is always secured and in the first position.

Is mezzanine debt secured?

Mezzanine debt is the middle layer of capital that falls between secured senior debt and equity. This type of capital is usually not secured by assets, and is lent strictly based on a company’s ability to repay the debt from free cash flow.

What is super senior debt?

Super-senior debt. Senior lenders are those who are in the best position if a company gets into difficulties with its debt as the senior lenders have first call on the unsecured assets (before other lenders).

Is mezzanine debt the same as subordinated debt?

Mezzanine debt is subordinated debt with some forms of equity enhancement attached. Regular subordinated debt just requires the borrowing company to pay interest and principal. With mezzanine debt, the lender has a piece of the action in the company’s business.

Is senior unsecured debt subordinated?

Senior Unsecured Debt means indebtedness for borrowed money that is not subordinated to any other indebtedness for borrowed money and is not secured or supported by a guarantee, letter of credit or other form of credit enhancement.

How mezzanine debt is negotiated?

If mezzanine debt is sold, it’s done in a private negotiation and typically involves price concessions on behalf of the seller. The connection with the LBO sponsor: A portion of the mezzanine financing is typically provided by the same private equity company sponsoring the LBO.

Why is it called mezzanine debt?

It is called “mezzanine” because its risk level falls midway between that of secured loans made by lenders such as banks, and venture capital provided by equity investors who take a stake in the company.

Why debt is cheaper than equity?

Since Debt is almost always cheaper than Equity, Debt is almost always the answer. Debt is cheaper than Equity because interest paid on Debt is tax-deductible, and lenders’ expected returns are lower than those of equity investors (shareholders). The risk and potential returns of Debt are both lower.

Is revolving credit facility senior debt?

Revolving credit facility (revolver), which can be paid down and reborrowed as needed. – Term debt (senior and subordinated) with floating rates. Payments-in-kind (PIK) toggle allows no interest payment and increase in principal.

Is debt senior to equity?

Senior debt has greater seniority in the issuer’s capital structure than subordinated debt. It is a class of corporate debt that has priority with respect to interest and principal over other classes of debt and over all classes of equity by the same issuer.

Is term loan A senior debt?

In English law-governed loan transactions, TLBs are often referred to as mezzanine debt or subordinated debt. In US law-governed loan transactions, TLBs are senior debt and are usually not subordinated to other indebtedness of the borrower.

How are LBOs financed?

A leveraged buyout (LBO) is a type of acquisition in the business world whereby the vast majority of the cost of buying a company is financed by borrowed funds. LBOs are often executed by private equity firms who attempt to raise as much funding as possible using various types of debt to get the transaction completed.

Is a revolver short-term debt?

A firm’s revolver is a line of short-term credit which the firm can access when it needs short-term funding to pay for operating expenses or one-time transactions. The revolver is always used for short-term financing, and is almost always paid off very quickly.

Is mezzanine debt second lien?

Unlike second-lien loans, mezzanine debt is a true ‘silent second’ debt behind the senior loan. Second-lien or tranche B loans(1) emerged in the early years of this decade. The growth in second-lien loans corresponds to a dramatic expansion of private equity funds and buy-out transactions in the past five years.